Change
by captainodonewithyou
Summary: When Skye and Lincoln start dating, the rest of the team starts acting extremely uncharacteristically. Drabble. (by bri)


A real choppy little drabble I wrote falling asleep last night because the Fitzskimmons friendship is everything. I have a bit more unfinished in docs and i might add it in later if I get a chance to finish it. Thanks for the read!

xxx

"Skye, you're their damn golden child—they all stare at me like they would appreciate it if I dropped dead," Lincoln protests halfheartedly as he walks her to her bunk after dinner. It isn't a moonlit stroll but it has been their routine long before whatever they were began, and Skye rolls her eyes, finding his hand hanging between them and giving it a soft squeeze. He returns the movement.

She has never been the type to keep her affections under wraps and it is not a secret. She is a hugger and a toucher and she sees no point in that changing after she has kissed Lincoln for the first time.

(He insists it was the other way around but Skye knows it's just because she caught him so off guard—and she likes it that way, likes that in a moment she can decide, she can make the decision that she's had enough of watching his smile forming crooked and his ears blushing irresistibly red when their eyes meet. Had enough of using all her willpower to simply smile back instead of reach and touch. She likes that in a moment she can take control and he'll follow immediately in her lead, just how it always has been since they met. Likes that when she pulls shakily back to examine his expression, the red of his ears has extended to flush his cheeks and his eyelids seem too heavy to open.

Likes that when she smiles weakly, he does too.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while."

She likes how his voice crumbles around the simple words and how when he does look at her, he is still searching for a lead to follow.

"So have I.")

Now that they have kissed, she likes that they can touch. It was all awkward spaces on the couch and jolts when fingers brushed before—but now when they settle in front of the television after a long day of recruitment, she can curl close to his side and prod his shoulder every time he inadvertently shocks her. She can seek him out and accept his gentle reassuring touches when the nightmares shake her from sleep—and she can tangle her fingers tight in his whenever she feels the urge.

They are not together for more than a three days and the entirety of SHIELD knows it, but Skye doesn't mind half as much as Lincoln does.

"They just have to warm up to you," she promises him reassuringly, before adding with sarcasm, "It's not like you just converted from the city that tried to wipe us out like less than a month ago or anything."

"Okay, first off, I'm pretty sure it was the other way," he tells her shooting her a sideways look that makes her smirk, "And before you started clinging to me in front of them, they all liked me just fine. I'll have you know, I am a remarkably likeable person."

This time she can't swallow the laugh that rises in her throat. She nudges the hand tangled in his sideways, bumping his hip. He retaliates with a similar movement and Skye sidesteps, throwing her shoulder into him and making them both stumble towards the wall on his left.

"Clearly," he says once they've steadied themselves, smirking down at her, "they prefer the aggressive type."

She shakes her head, still laughing.

"Honestly, Lincoln, I think you're paranoid. Coulson never liked you and Fitzsimmons loves you. Weren't you guys having a Mariokart marathon like, last night?"

"I'm glad you bring that up," he raises an eyebrow, "as said Mariokart marathon occurred exactly four nights ago—and neither Fitz nor Simmons has so much as smiled at me since."

They've reached her door and she stops, turning slowly to face him, but doesn't let go of his hand. He's looking expectantly at her, awaiting her response, and she sighs slowly and overdramatically.

"Did you beat them? I warned you not to beat them."

It's his turn to sigh, and he runs a hand frustrated through his already staticked-up hair as he does.

"I'm serious, Skye," he finally says, and paired with the lost puppy look that's taken over his expression, he finally is managing to edge at her concern. "I went to the lab the other morning—not unlike you Fitz wanted to exploit my powers for food making purposes—"

She can't help but smile proudly and he either misses or ignores it, continuing.

"Neither of them would look at me. Pretend all you want, but your friends are icing me out."

The thought of both Fitz and Simmons ignoring him is practically too ridiculous even to imagine. Neither of them were capable of fully carrying out a prank, much less successfully pretending someone didn't exist. Skye knew both from the same unfortunate failure of an experience.

"Are you sure they saw you, Lincoln?" She asks, realizing too late that the insensitivity of her words.

"Oh man," he says with sarcastic revelation, fixing her a deadpan stare, "Man, yeah Skye, you figured it out, they didn't see me approach them in their glass goddamn lab and then went temporarily deaf as I asked repeatedly at varying volumes if I had done something to offend them. That definitely is what went wrong, I'll have to try again tomorrow. My mistake."

"I'm sorry," she says quickly, catching his hand when he tries to pull it away, "Lincoln, I didn't mean it that way. I just… know Fitz and Simmons. Just ignoring someone like that, it's just… odd."

He starts to open his mouth in protest and she rushes to continue.

"I believe you, Lincoln. I'm just a little… surprised."

Surprised is putting it lightly but she keeps her mouth shut, allowing her eyes to fall to where their hands are joined instead and letting the silence settle over them.

"I'm not."

His words are belated and it takes a moment for her to recall what he is responding to—raising her eyes in confusion to his when she does. He smiles softly.

"It doesn't surprise me. I get it. Understand it, I guess."

He's still smiling soft and sheepish, and she's still confused.

"Understand… whatever weird jealousy is going on?"

He chuckles a bit at that, shaking his head. She feels her brow furrow in deeper confusion, the conversation going a bit tedious.

"I understand wanting to prevent you from getting hurt."

Her expression remains unchanged, waiting to allow him an opportunity to show her where he's going with the words this time. He pauses, instead, staring at the space between them before hesitantly reaching forward to softly tangle his free hand in hers.

"You guys are a family," he finally continues quietly, eyes flicking up again to hers, "I'm an outsider and now we're… whatever we are. You're special, Skye, to a lot of people. They don't want to see you hurt by me."

She glances again to where their hands are joined, her little fingers overcome by his, as she considers his words. Their hands rock slightly back and forth and suddenly it isn't his hand she is holding—when he shifts his fingers round hers she finds herself pulling sharply away, taking a step back and startling even herself in the process.

"Skye?" His expression is full of concern but he doesn't move to fill the gap she's created.

Suddenly she understands, too.

"I'm… fine. I'm sorry. I need to talk to them.

He doesn't argue, but the concern is still written in the lines of his face. She begins to turn, but his lingering expression halts her, and she finds his gaze.

"I really, really like you," she tells him pointedly and slowly, watching to make sure the words sink in. "I just really have to do this, alright?"

She likes that he nods his understanding even though he doesn't as she goes.

Xxx

They are in the lab, just as she expects, and she barges in without warning and begins speaking immediately, causing Fitz to jump and Jemma nearly to spill the vial she is holding.

"He's not Ward."

Their shocked expressions soften in practically frightening synchronization.

"Ward? Who's calling him Ward? We're not calling him Ward," Fitz speaks quickly, sitting up straight and staring at Skye before glancing at Jemma, "Are we calling him Ward, Jemma?"

Jemma is watching Skye, and she can tell by her expression knows no amount of mind games is going to cover for them. She sighs, shifting the tube in her fingers.

"Skye…" She begins consolingly, lowering the vial carefully to her workstation.

"Uh uh, I'm not here to be Skye'd. You two are literally Lincoln's only friends. You cannot be assholes to him. He hasn't done anything, to either of you."

Jemma rolls her eyes, clearly growing swiftly perturbed.

"No," she murmurs, nearly inaudibly, glaring at the vial in front of her, "but I suppose he's done plenty to you."

Her quiet words are perfectly clear in the silent lab and Fitz coughs out a laugh before quickly feigning seriousness, looking back as his computer when Skye shoots him a deathly glare before returning her attention to Jemma.

"First of all, ew, Jemma, God, please don't ever say that ever again. Second of all, I repeat, not Ward. You two are acting like this is some repeat chance to get it right or something. It's not. Ward screwed us over and Lincoln, as much as you'd love that chance, is definitely not him. Look, you know I love you guys, but I'd really appreciate it if in the future you made an attempt not to treat him like he's someone he isn't?"

The lab falls silent. She knows her words are flirting heavily on the harsh end of the spectrum but she needs them to be heard, even if they lend a heaviness to the air around them that hasn't existed for quite a while. Jemma and Fitz both have their heads lowered, studying their workstations silently, neither moving to answer her pleas.

Skye's heart falls.

"You know what, whatever," she snaps, clenching her teeth together, "If you two are so set on hating him, be my guests. It's not going to change that I like him and that we're together. I guess I just kind of hoped my best friends might be happy for me."

It's a blatant guilt trip but she sort of wants them to feel bad as she turns sharply back towards the door, angrier than she is upset.

Her hand is on the handle before Jemma speaks.

"I'm can't see how you haven't noticed the similarities to Ward, Skye."

She doesn't even bother to turn for a good moment, taking a slow breath to calm her suddenly pounding head before finally looking back at Jemma.

"What, because he's so selfish, right?" She says sarcastically, "Or wait, no, I know, it's the snake-like smile, isn't it?"

Jemma opens her mouth to protest, but Skye keeps going.

"They have one single similarity, Jemma—they both like me. But yeah. Right. Lincoln is the new and improved version of Ward. At least he comes without all the sociopathic tendencies!"

"He's come in from outside and charmed the pants off of the entire team, Skye! He was meant to be your mentor! He looks at you like a lost puppy—the similarities are innumerable!"

Both of their voices are raising and Fitz has bowed silently out, staring again, tensely at his computer as he tries clearly not to be noticed.

"You agree with her, Fitz?" Skye prompt anyway, "Think he should be condemned for looking at me with apparently highly offensive puppy eyes as well?"

He shifts uncomfortably under the hard stares of both girls.

"Look, I'm just tryin' ta—"

"Work, yes Fitz," Jemma fills in impatiently with a tight smile, "it'll only take a moment to tell Skye how you feel about Lincoln."

He sinks lower into his chair, refusing to look at either of them.

"Fitz!" Jemma urges, and he groans.

"I think tha'… maybe we're being a wee bit judgmental, Jemma. Tryin' to look ou' for Skye and maybe missin' that Lincoln might not be exactly what we assumed."

Skye lets out a long breath she didn't realize she was holding and Jemma remains silent.

"You guys liked him," Skye adds carefully, "You were friends. Just because we're kissing now doesn't make him into a complete stranger. I get it. I do, and I appreciate you guys being concerned for me…but that just isn't Lincoln and I'm pretty positive you both know that."

To Skye's complete surprise, Jemma nods slowly.

"You're right."

"I am?"

She doesn't mean for the words to slip out the way they do, and Jemma smiles tensely at the mishap.

"I saw the two of you together and… it just brought quite a bit of Ward to the surface of my mind. I suppose… my thinking was a bit clouded by it."

Relief is slowly filling Skye, and she dares a slight smile.

"So you'll both help me convince Coulson, too, right?"


End file.
